IoWoman A Publication of the Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women Vol. XXXIV, No. 4, July/August 2004 Iowa Women Who Were #1 Brenna Vogel is working in the Plan Now to Attend Hall of Fame ICSW office as a summer intern You are cordially invited to attend, developing a list of women who were free of charge, the Iowa Women’s Hall Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame firsts on the national, state, or their local of Fame Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on 2004 Inductees levels. Examples include the following. Saturday, August 21, 2004, to celebrate May Francis became the first woman to the induction of four outstanding Joy Cole Corning be elected to statewide public office in women. The ceremony will take place Mary Ann Evans Iowa when she became superintendent at the Iowa State Historical Building, 600 Ruth Cole Nash of public instruction. Jean Wanatee was East Locust, Des Moines. Sally J. Pederson the first woman elected to the Meskwaki Induction into the Iowa Women’s Tribal Council. Mildred Wirt Benson Hall of Fame is one of the highest Cristine Wilson Medal for was the first writer of the Nancy Drew honors bestowed upon an Iowa woman Equality and Justice Recipient stories written by several different by the State of Iowa. Joy Cole Corning, Des Moines; Mary Ann Evans, Ames; authors under the name of Carolyn Marie Wilson Keene. Phyllis Propp Fowle became Ruth Cole Nash (deceased), Dubuque; the first woman JAG officer in the United and Sally J. Pederson, Des Moines will States Army. Virginia Bedell was the be honored for their significant contributions to society. first female county attorney in the state Joy Corning is a former Lt. Governor and state Senator. Mary Ann Evans is of Iowa. Roxanne Conlin was the first the founder and former director of the Program for Women in Science and chair of the Iowa Women’s Political Engineering at Iowa State University. Ruth Cole Nash was an avid supporter of Caucus, and Georgine Morris was the the arts and of civil/human rights. Sally J. Pederson is the current Lt. Governor of first state president of NAACP. If you Iowa. (More complete biographical sketches and photographs will appear in the know of an Iowa woman who was a September/October issue of the IoWoman.) “first,” please send us her name, what The Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice will also be presented during she was first in, the date if known to the Hall of Fame ceremony. This award is given to a distinguished Iowan who has [email protected]. dedicated her/his life to promoting equality and justice. Marie Wilson, president of the White House Project, will receive this honor. 2004 Primary Election Following the induction ceremony, a reception will be held for attendees and The Secretary of State’s list for family and friends of the award recipients from 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. candidates running in the Iowa June At 12:30 p.m., the Friends of the ICSW Fundraising Luncheon will take place at primary included six women running for Younkers Tea Room, 7th and Walnut Street, Des Moines. It will feature Kindred Iowa Senate seats (3 Democrats and 3 Spirits, a Showcase of Iowa Women, by Maureen J. Korte. Republicans) and 39 women running for Cost of the Friends’ fund-raising luncheon is $30 per person and $240 per table Iowa House seats (13 Republicans and of 8. Send checks for the luncheon by Wednesday, August 11 to Friends of ICSW, 23 Democrats). Of those six women Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. See page two for a luncheon running for the Senate, five will advance reservation card. to the November general election (2 The event is held in conjunction with Women's Equality Day, August 26, Democrats and 3 Republicans); and 33 which commemorates the day in 1920 when American women first obtained the women will advance for Iowa House right to vote. seats (12 Republicans and 21 Democrats). Three women continue in Please note: our general email address has changed to the Senate to serve the two years [email protected]. remaining of their four-year terms. New Report: Iowa Failing to Provide Adequate 3 Men to Replace Paid Sick Leave to Workers 1 Woman The most comprehensive report ever to examine laws and regulations governing Ellen Gordon, Iowa’s homeland paid sick leave in the United States gives Iowa a grade of C- on paid sick leave. Not security advisor and administrator of the a single state is doing enough to guarantee paid sick leave to employees, the report Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency finds, warning that millions of workers face a terrible dilemma when they themselves Management Division, announced in May or a family member is sick - miss a day of pay or leave a sick child or elderly parent she will leave her post July 2. She has without care. accepted a faculty position with the Naval Developed by the National Partnership for Women & Families, the new study Postgraduate School’s Center for was timed to coincide with the introduction of The Healthy Families Act in Congress Homeland Defense and Security and that would guarantee seven paid sick days per year for full-time employees, and a will also pursue other opportunities pro-rata number for part-time employees. It would cover public and private sector utilizing her more than 25 years of employers with at least 15 employees. experience in emergency management The National Partnership study reports that 59 million workers, including 47 and, more recently, homeland security. percent of the private sector in the U.S., have no paid sick leave at all. In addition, Governor Vilsack named Major General some 86 million workers do not have even one paid sick day that can be used to care Ron Dardis, adjutant general of the Iowa for sick children. A benefits study conducted in 2004 by Iowa Workforce National Guard, to be the state’s homeland Development in the Greater Dubuque Area found that 38.1 per cent of the security advisor upon Gordon’s departure businesses offer paid sick leave in their compensation packages; 37.3 percent and asked Department of Public Safety employed full-time and 13.4 percent employed part-time are offered paid sick leave. Commissioner Kevin Techau to serve Private sector benefits statewide are expected to be comparable. as chair of the Iowa Homeland Security “We have a lot of work to do here in Iowa,” said Charlotte Nelson, executive Executive Group. David Miller, chief of director of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. “A workplace that does staff of the Iowa Homeland Security not provide paid sick days is a workplace that is failing its employees, its community and Emergency Management Division, and itself. Children are not getting the care they need, sick workers are coming to will serve as interim administrator of the work and infecting others and businesses are suffering because they are not division. retaining employees who are already trained. Every hard-working Iowan deserves paid sick leave.” Five Iowa Counties The full study is available at <www.nationalpartnership.org>. Named for a Woman Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Bremer – Fredricka Bremer, Swedish Fundraising Luncheon Reservation author and traveler. Ida – Ida Smith, first white child born in ___I/We accept your invitation to the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame celebration luncheon what is now Ida Grove (1856). Louisa – Louisa Massey, area folk heroine $30 per adult #______ $______ who avenged her brother’s murder by $20 per person age 21 or younger #______ $______ slaying his assassin. Scholarship for young women ($100) #______ $______ Monona – An American Indian girl who, $240 for a table for eight #______ $______ believing her white lover was killed by Number of Vegetarian Selections _______ her people, jumped from a high rock into Table sign to read: ____________________________________________________ the Mississippi River. Pocahontas – An American Indian Hold tickets in the name of: ______________________________________________ princess from Virginia. Source: <www.sos.state.ia.us/ Daytime telephone:__________________ Email address:_____________________ publications/redbook/history/7-5.pdf>. ___I/We regret not being able to attend this special event but have enclosed a donation to show our support for the Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of ICSW Officers Women. In their meeting on May 4th, the ICSW elected the following officers for two- ____ Check enclosed for $________ year terms: Kimberly A. Painter of Iowa City as Chair, Matt Wissing of Make checks payable to Friends of ICSW and mail by Wednesday, August 11, 2004 to Davenport as Vice Chair, and Vicki Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines IA 50319 Brown of Oskaloosa as Treasurer. IoWoman/Page 2 Calendar of Events July 21 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Ceremony. 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m., State Historical Building. Induction of four 2 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 women into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame and when President Lyndon Johnson signed this landmark law presentation of the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and prohibiting racial discrimination in public accommodations, Justice. Free and open to the public. ICSW, 515/281-4461, publicly owned or operated facilities, employment and 800/558-4427, or [email protected]. union membership, and voter registration. 21 Friends of ICSW Fundraising Luncheon. 12:30-2 2-4 Blues Fest Celebrating the Civil Rights Act. LeClaire p.m., Younkers Tea Room, Des Moines. $30. Friends of Park, Davenport.